Raiders get ready for Manning without Branch

The Raiders woke up Monday tied for the league-lead in sacks with nine and sixth in the NFL in total defense (261 yards per game.)
Never mind that they feasted on Jaguar meat Sunday, it’s a great start for a team with nine new starters on defense.
“I think a lot of the guys are just buying in to what we’re doing and they’re flying around to the football,” Oakland coach Dennis Allen said. “I think that’s what good defenses do.”
Did we say nine new starters? Make that 10.
Starting strong safety Tyvon Branch will miss significant time with a reported broken right fibula. Brandian Ross and Usama Young will take his place, along with starting free safety Charles Woodson as the two safety positions are “interchangeable” in the Raiders’ blitz-happy scheme.
“Man that hurts,” Young said of Branch’s injury. “Hurts the team. Having a guy like that in the locker room, on the field, in meeting rooms. It’s a devastation. As a group you have to put your best foot forward to go ahead and get the next guy up.”
One of the two returning starters along with defensive end Lamarr Houston, Branch started 64 of the past 66 games. Allen would not confirm an ESPN report Monday that Branch broke his leg but said Oakland’s highest-paid player in 2013 will be out for ”some time.”
Ross and Young played well in relief of Branch Sunday – Ross had three tackles with a sack and a quarterback hurry while Young had three tackles, 1.5 sacks, a tackle for a loss and two quarterback hurries — but here comes an asterisk.
That was against Jacksonville, the worst team in the league that has scored 11 points this season.
Up next is 2-0 Denver, on Monday night. Peyton Manning has thrown nine touchdown passes and no interceptions as the Broncos have scored 90 points.
“He’s the best of the best, you know, and he’s seen everything and he probably watches film probably more than anybody else,” Woodson said. “He’s going to know what to look for when he walks up to the line.
“The thing with him is you try your best to give him different looks and not let him know when you’re in. If he knows what you’re in, you see what he’s done the first couple of weeks.”
The Raiders have done a good job of moving guys around and “activating” pass rushers from different spots. Seven players, including four defensive backs, have all gotten at least one sack.
They hope pressure results in some mistakes by Manning and the Broncos. So far, Oakland has no interceptions and no fumble recoveries.”
”We have to get the ball,” Woodson said. ”Not to have any fumbles, not to have any interceptions has been tough. I’m used to having a couple myself at this point. That’s what a great defense does.”
That’s what a defense has to do, Allen said.
“As a defense, the only reason that you go out there is to get the ball back for the offense,” he said.
Meanwhile, guard Lucas Nix is having an MRI on his injured ankle. Veteran Andre Gurode played well in his place Sunday and might take his job anyway, as Nix has struggled.